By suggesting that undisputed status loses its luster if a fighter avoids probably the most dangerous challenges, Ryan echoes the criticism that fans have of Crawford.
The primary point of the critique centers on the ultimate chapters of Crawford’s profession. While Bud’s resume is objectively legendary, the names missing from his 147 and 154-pound runs provide loads of ammunition for skeptics.
The list of fighters Crawford bypassed is what really stings for boxing purists. If he were truly seeking to cement a legacy of “the most effective fighting the most effective,” those are the names that ought to have been on his dance card:
At 147: Jaron “Boots” Ennis was the clear successor, a high-risk fight with less “superstar” reward that Crawford never seemed taken with.
At 154: Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Sebastian Fundora represent the physical grit of the division. Skipping them to leap straight to a lucrative Canelo fight suggests a priority on “prizefighting” over “legacy-fighting.”
At 168: The avoidance of Christian Mbilli, Osleys Iglesias, and Diego Pacheco, the true monsters of the division, makes the Canelo victory look more like a strategic heist than a takeover.
The proven fact that Turki Alalshikh publicly mentioned Benavidez vs. Crawford on X is the smoking gun. The cash and the platform were there for Crawford to tackle probably the most feared man within the vicinity of his weight class.
Selecting retirement immediately after the Canelo check as an alternative of facing a “Monster” like Benavidez or the rising contenders supports Ryan’s argument. Crawford finished with the trophies, but he left the game without answering probably the most difficult questions.
While the history books show Crawford jumping multiple weight classes to beat a legend, the fact was a version of Canelo who had slowed down significantly and hadn’t been pushed by the elite young killers of the 168-pound division for years.
By the point they met, Canelo’s resume since 2021 was more about brand management than divisional dominance. For Crawford to beat that version of Canelo after which exit stage left seems like he was chasing the prestige of the name relatively than the danger of the burden class.